In marketing graduate programs, students learn how to conduct analysis and apply marketing theory and technique to campaigns across industries and cultures. In master’s degree programs, they might develop their skills as managers and leaders, and in doctorate degree programs, their focus may be on becoming educators of the future generation of marketing professionals.

At the graduate level of education, students enhance their basic marketing knowledge and skill set and broaden their knowledge to include more nuanced areas of marketing, such as digital marketing, marketing analytics, or international advertising. They do so in a bricks and mortar classrooms with their classmates and professors in an on-campus setting.

Why Pursue a Marketing and Advertising Degree on Campus?

Marketing and advertising professionals interact with people on a regular basis. In general, this creative and innovative crew is one comprising people-persons and professionals who want to communicate as successfully as possible. Therefore, having the skills to listen, speak clearly, and interact with a variety of types of people is key. In the classroom, interacting with classmates and professors can help you develop these critical skills.

At the graduate level of education, students also commonly develop their skills as leaders and managers. By navigating team dynamics on group projects and applying newly learned skills in the flesh, students can begin to develop who they are as leaders and collaborators.

On-campus marketing and advertising programs offer students access to clubs and other groups geared toward students’ professional interests. A student studying international marketing might join a cultural club, for example, while a student pursuing a digital marketing degree might join a technology club. This type of engagement can help students deepen their learning and broaden the ways in which they apply their knowledge.

Lastly, students in on-campus marketing graduate programs may benefit from face-to-face, in-person learning with classmates and professors. For some people, being able to ask questions, take advantage of professor’s office hours, and discuss materials with classmates in person allows for a richer experience. And, having a specific schedule and a requirement to be on campus at certain times might provide the structure and support that some students need.

Did You Know?

Because professionals in the field strive to appeal to people, marketing has a decidedly social science side. As such, many on-campus programs have labs in which students work together to discover human phenomena that impact the marketing process.

Marketing vs Advertising: What’s the Difference and What Can I Expect from a Program?

Keep in mind that advertising is a component of marketing. Marketing includes a broad range of methodologies, venues, and formats designed to promote ideas, sell products, establish brand awareness, and otherwise extend messages to a broader audience. Advertising, meanwhile, is just one of many marketing methods that employs print, television, or radio to sell a product or idea.

Marketing and advertising degree programs are therefore slightly distinct. In many cases, schools combine marketing and advertising curricula. Students might take just one or two courses in advertising as a part of their marketing degree, or they might concentrate their studies in advertising and take numerous courses in the subject.

Types of Marketing Degrees at the Graduate-level of Education

At the graduate level of education, students can pursue a graduate certificate, which takes six months to one year to earn; a master’s degree, which takes up to two years to earn; or a doctorate degree, which takes four to five years to earn. Each of these levels of education has on-campus options.

Certificate programs in marketing typically include four to seven courses. These are designed to help students specialize their knowledge in a specific area of marketing and/or advertising or to introduce them to the fields. For students who only have the resources to devote six months to one-year to on-campus education, this could be a great option.

Master’s degree programs in marketing typically include ten to fifteen courses. These are designed to have students study marketing broadly or an area of marketing, such as advertising or analytics, in depth. A master’s degree in marketing commonly includes curricula to help students develop their management and leadership knowledge and skills.

Doctorate degree programs in marketing typically include 80 to 100 credit hours divided between coursework and research (thereby making it difficult to assess precisely how many courses students have to take as many of the credits might derive from students conducting and presenting research). In these programs, students typically focus on learning how to conduct research and become educators in the field of marketing.

Options for On-Campus Marketing Graduate Programs

At the master’s and doctorate degree levels, many on-campus marketing graduate programs offer customizable curricula to enable students to pursue their areas of interest. Students may also be able to concentrate their learning or follow particular tracks of learning. Students might pursue, for example:

A marketing management degree

A business and marketing degree

A sales and marketing degree

A marketing law degree

Similarly, students might pursue a degree in marketing with an emphasis in a subject such as marketing analytics, consumer behavior, or design. Or they might pursue a degree in a subject such as marketing analytics and focus their learning even more deeply by studying audit analytics, business analytics, or marketing analytics. Students who are business professionals might pursue a Master of Business Administration or Doctor of Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing.

Ultimately, there are numerous options and ways for students to direct their learning at the graduate level of education.

Curricula in On-campus Marketing Graduate Programs

The courses students take in their on-campus marketing graduate programs depends on their focus and type of degree. However, we can give you a sense of some core subjects graduate marketing courses and programs might cover:

Marketing management

Consumer analysis and insights

Branding strategy

Internet Marketing

Advertising and promotions

Marketing analytics

Students might take elective courses in subjects such as:

Global marketing

Digital entertainment

Marketing for entrepreneurs

Business law and ethics

Retail strategy

No matter the subject matter, projects and assignments in the classroom are likely to provide real-world experiences, and students in the classroom may be encouraged to interact with students of various backgrounds, nationalities, and interests. Case studies are typically global in nature and cover the spectrum of industries. Individual and group assignments will likely be designed to help students conduct in-depth analyses, think critically, and communicate effectively.

Marketing Degree Requirements

On-campus marketing graduate programs have different requirements depending on the program level.

In certificate programs, students typically complete core and elective courses and do not have to write a cumulative research paper or take a cumulative exam.

At the master’s degree level, students typically complete core and elective courses and submit and defend a final project, which might be a thesis, presentation, portfolio, or other type of research project. Depending on the program, they might also have to take a comprehensive exam.

At the doctorate degree level, students typically complete core and elective courses, submit and defend a dissertation, and may have to take a comprehensive exam. They might also have to participate in an assistantship as a teacher or researcher.

Career Options in the Fields of Marketing and Advertising

With a graduate degree in marketing, you can work in numerous capacities. For example, you might work as:

An Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Manager: In 2017, professionals in this position earned a median annual salary of $129,380.i

A Market Research Analyst: In 2017, professionals in this position earned a median annual salary of $63,230.ii

A Public Relations Specialists: In 2017, professionals in this position earned a median annual salary of $59,300.iii

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that these positions will grow between nine and 23 percent between 2016 and 2026.iv

Guess What? While each of the positions listed above requires professionals to have only a bachelor’s degree, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows in their 2017 audit that 23 percent of market research analysts and marketing specialists held master’s degrees. On average, they earned a mean annual wage of $25,000 more than professionals who held only a bachelor’s degree.v

Find Schools With Marketing Graduate Programs

There are obvious benefits to pursuing a graduate-level marketing degree on campus. In-person interaction and access to campus resources name just a couple. Click on certificate, master’s degree, and doctorate degree program icons to learn more about each program and to narrow your search by degree level or location. When you find a program of interest, use our onsite form to contact schools directly.

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